copyreading and headline writing_renzcerillo.compressed

Copyreading and Headline Writing Going beyond the grammar book

-MORE-

Copyreading?

Technical process of correcting and improving an article/*copy with the use of various symbols

Basically, “polishing” an article

Providing of alternative headline

*Can be of any sort of article

Functions of a Copy Reader?

Edit grammatical and spelling errors

Check Facts

Cut/delete irrelevant ideas

Delete “editorializing materials” in news

Guard against libelous statements

Improve news value

Functions of a Copy Reader?

Write Headlines and decide its typography

Make copy simple and clear

Make copy conform to the newspaper Style Sheets

Give instructions to the typesetter re font type and size, no. of columns, and ems

Indicate corrections by using appropriate copyreading marks

Step by step process

1. Read the copy 2. Correct all errors 3. Rewrite lead if possible 4. Provide headline 5. Provide typeset instructions

Tools of a Copyreader

1. Soft lead pencil 2. High quality rubber eraser 3. Scratch paper 4. Strong vocabulary 5. Strong grammar & writing skills

Things to remember!

The spaces between the lines are for writing corrections. Make use of them.

Write Your name and your slug line

End each page with a paragraph. Don’t Cut (a) Paragraph/s and continue on the next page.

Write -MORE- at the bottom of the page of an unfinished story and continue on the next page.

Additional notes:

Do not use the back page of the paper.

End the story with number “30” or “#”

If a paragraph could hardly be read because of too many errors/corrections, rewrite it if time permits.

Use American English, not British English.

If a word has more than one accepted spelling, the shortest one is preferred.

Hunt them down!

The numbers 1 – 9 are written in words while the numbers 10 and above are written in figures.

Example: nine students 13 children

EXCEPTIONS: dates, address: always in

figures. proper nouns: may be written in

figures/words beginning of sentence: always in

words events: 1st – 9th is allowed

Hunt them down!

Spell out Dept., gov’t, and other abbreviations.

The abbreviations Jr. and Sr. are allowed in names.

A title or position of a person may be abbreviated if it appears before the name but not if simply used in the sentence.

abbreviations

Hunt them down!

Spell out Dept., gov’t, and other abbreviations.

The abbreviations Jr. and Sr. are allowed in names.

A title or position of a person may be abbreviated if it appears before the name but not if simply used in the sentence.

abbreviations

Remember: Engr. Emmanuel Delgado Engineer Delgado

12 Dimagiba St. Dimagiba Street

Hunt them down!

Acronyms

When an acronym appears for the first time in a news story, it is written after its meaning and it is enclosed in parentheses.

Ex: University of the Philippines (UP)

Hunt them down!

paragraph The first sentence of a paragraph is indented.

In news stories, the rule is one paragraph, one sentence only.

There should be no names of unknown persons in the lead.

Lead

Hunt them down!

Punctuation: hyphen

Use hyphen:

• in most compound nouns

Ex: editor-in-chief, officer-in-charge

• in fractions

Ex: two-thirds, three-fourths

• (English) in numerals

Ex: twenty-two, fifty-nine

Hunt them down!

(Filipino) Gumamit ng gitling kapag ang isang tanging ngalan ay inuunlapian.

Hal: maka-Estrada

taga-Cabanatuan

pam-Bagong Taon

Punctuation: hyphen

Hunt them down!

(Filipino) Gumamit ng gitling sa pagitan ng unlaping ika- at tambilang o oras.

Hal: Ika-7 ng Agosto

Ika-3:35 ng madaling araw

(Filipino) Sa mga salitang ang kayarian ay inuulit.

Hal: kabi-kabila

Punctuation: hyphen

Hunt them down!

Use a dash between two figures to indicate inclusion of all intervening figures.

Avoid: from Aug. 15 to 30

Better: Aug. 15 — 30

Punctuation: Dash

Hunt them down!

Quotation marks are used in direct quotations. Indirect quotations do not need them.

Ex: “I forgot it,” he said.

He said he forgot it.

Periods and commas are written first before closing quotation marks.

Ex: “Let’s go to SM,” the boy said.

Punctuation: Quotation Marks

More notes!

Mga paalala (Filipino)

Wastong paglalapi ng pandiwa

Mali: Nagdala ang mga bangkay ng mga biktima sa Gospel Memorial Homes.

Wastong gamit ng dito at rito, din at rin, atbp.

Wastong gamit ng sa at kay

Wastong gamit ng ang, si at ni

Wastong gamit ng nang at ng

Copy Editing Marks

Copyreading Symbols

Headline Writing

an assemblage of words written in bigger, bolder letters than the usual page text at the beginning of the news

hat is a Headline? W

FUNCTIONS OF HEADLINE

1) to attract readers

2) to tell the story (in a summary)

3) to add variety of type

4) to identify personality of newspaper

5) to index/grade the news

Some pointers!!!

1. First, read the story for general meaning.

2. Clues to the headline are usually in the lead.

• What happened?

• Who did what?

• How did if happen?

3. Use the shortest words possible.

Examples include:

cop – policeman

nab – arrest

mishap – accident

up – increase

down – decrease

thief - robber

Some pointers!!!

4. Have a subject and a verb. Avoid starting with a verb; the headline might sound as if it were giving orders.

Wrong: Revise money mart guidelines

Correct: Central Bank revises money mart guidelines

Some pointers!!!

5. Use the historical present tense if the verb is in the active voice.

Wrong: Reyes topped editorial tilt

Correct: Reyes tops editorial tilt

Some pointers!!!

6. Omit the helping verb if the verb is in the passive voice. Only the past participle is retained.

Wrong: Drug pushers are nabbed

Correct: Drug pushers nabbed

Some pointers!!!

7. Use the infinitive for future events.

Wrong: City Hall will punish anti-squatting drive

Correct: City Hall to punish anti-squatting drive

Some pointers!!!

8. Do not use a period at the end of the headline.

9. Omit articles (a, an, the).

Wrong: A fire hits Tondo slum area

Correct: Fire hits Tondo slum area

Some pointers!!!

Some pointers!!!

10. Use a comma instead of “and” in writing headlines.

Delays, confusion bug Asiad

Lacson, Trillanes no show at SONA

11. Use semicolon to separate sentences.

Gina Lopez heads Pasig body;

Noy swears in 35 other execs

12. Use the punctuation marks (especially the exclamation point) sparingly.

Some pointers!!!

13. Use single quotes (‘) in headlines instead of double quotes (“).

15. Always give the source of a quote. Quotation marks are not necessary, a dash or a colon will serve the purpose.

Crackdown on errant bus firms – Enrile

Enrile: Crackdown on errant bus firms

Some pointers!!!

Some pointers!!!

15. Use the down-style – only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized, unless otherwise indicated. This is more readable because people are used to reading sentences this way.

Ex: Faculty honors Nuñez

Some pointers!!!

16. Use only widely known abbreviations.

Wrong: JEE to play Santa this Christmas

Some pointers!!!

17. Don’t use names unless the person is well known, use common nouns instead.

Wrong: Santos electrocuted

Correct: Carpenter electrocuted

Some pointers!!!

18. Use specific terms instead of generalities

Example: Trader killed

Better: Trader stabbed to death

Some pointers!!!

19. Just report the facts; do not editorialize.

Wrong: Noy gives inspiring talks

(The word “inspiring” is just your opinion.)

20. Be positive. Don't use negatives in headlines. They weaken not only the headlines but also the stories.

• All caps DEPED CANCELS CLASSES IN

ALL LEVELS • Caps and lower case DepEd Cancels Classes In All Levels • Down style DepEd cancels classes in all levels

Headline Styles

• Flush left Binay defends himself on fraud allegations • Hanging indention Binay defends himself against fraud allegations

Headline Styles

• Dropline or step form VP Binay defends himself on fraud allegations • Inverted pyramid Binay defends himself on corruption issues • Crossline/barline Binay defends himself on fraud issues

Headline Styles

• Headline with kicker TO STOP VIOLENCE:

DepEd stregthens policies on child protection

• Headline with deck QNHS welcomes new principal Zaracena bats for holistic development

Headline Styles

Generally, this is how it should look like.

Enrolment ups by 18% (20 units)

1 – number of columns

18 – font size or points

TNR – font or type

B – font style

1 – number of lines

1/18/TNR-B/1 FL/DS

Directions to the printer

Enrolment ups by 18% (20 units)

FL – headline pa6ern

DS – downstyle

(20 units) – unit counts

1/18/TNR-B/1 FL/DS


1/11/TNR-N

1 – line spacing 11 – font size or

points

TNR – font or type

N – font style

{ -‐ text to which the direc?on will apply


• A count system considers differences in the widths of le6ers.

Capital le:ers:

M, W – 2 units

JLIFT – 1 unit

Others – 1 ½ units

Unit counts: Directions to the printer

Punctua?on marks:

dash (–) – 1 ½ units

ques?on mark (?) – 1 unit

others -‐ ½ unit

Number digits:

0 to 9 – 1 unit

Space – 1 unit

Unit counts: Directions to the printer

BCIS bags medals in NEPPESA quiz bee B C I S b a g s 1 ½ + 1 ½ + 1 + 1 ½ + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1

(11 ½ units)

m e d a l s i n 1 ½ + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + ½ + 1 + 1 (10 units)


Unit counts:

BCIS bags medals in NEPPESA quiz bee N E P P E S A 1 ½ + 1 ½ + 1 ½ + 1 ½ + 1 ½ + 1 ½ + 1 ½ + 1

(11 ½ units)

q u i z b e e 1 + 1 + ½ + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1

(7 ½ units) TOTAL = 11 ½ + 10 + 11 ½ + 7 ½ = 40 ½ units


copyreading and headline writing_renzcerillo.compressed

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